Three

Three

In Hannah’s room, she sat at the edge of the bed while eyeing her mother walking back and forth in front of her while burying her face on her palm. Her other hand was wrap on her waist while holding her report card. She seems so problematic while Hannah’s heart was pounding like it was about to come out of her chest. Her lips were pale and slightly parted.

“C-calm down, Mom.” She struggled to make her words normal but it comes out more suspicious than Emilia thought. Her eyes was still following Emilia’s moves.

Emilia stops in the middle as she removed her palm from her face, “How am I supposed to calm down, Hannah Mae?! You just tampered your classmate’s report card!” She exclaimed as she fixed a glare on her.

Hannah sighed as she rolled her eyes, “What are you talking about? That’s mine.”

“Really?” Emilia’s eyes widen in controlled anger, “Then you better have an explanation why the hand writing in the front doesn’t match on the one at back.”

Suddenly, Hannah felt chills on her forehead as she could hear her heart racing. She didn’t expect that her mother would found out about it in that very instant. She swallowed to composed herself as she opened her mouth but her mother went on.

“And this report card seems so suspicious.” She continued as she lift her hand with the card, in front of her, “The grades here were completely different, most especially in Math. I was sure you got 73 and 71 in 1st and 2nd quarter but here? 89 and 90? As if you could get that kind of grades knowing how terrible you are in that subject.”

“Fine! That’s not mine! I tampered it!” Hannah yelled, obviously she ran out of excuses to deny, “It was Carnillo’s. I-I found it in the trash bin when my classmate, Sanchez, took it and threw it there. I-I took it and put a correction tape on the name a-and wrote mine to replace it.” She was stuttering while explaining. Her eyes were starting to get wet as she sniffed. She wasn’t looking on her mother because she knew, she was surely mad at her.

“What if your teacher will find out about this? Are you ready to be humiliated? Or even kick out of the school?” Her mother's tone became sharp but low. And she fixed her threatening look on her.

“She won’t find out about it. I-I won’t let that happen.” Words came out of her daughter’s mouth without even having second thought. Her mind was upside-down and she can’t even think properly.

“Are you even using your mind? This is a violation. You could be expelled and worst, you can never proceed to college.” Her mother was clearly mad, just by hearing her voice. It frightens her daughter making her stoop so low, avoiding contact with her eyes.

Her sharp tone sent chills to her daughter that went into her nerves, making her quivered. Her daughter wrapped her arms around her with head down. A tear escape from her eye fell on her lap as she sniffed. Trying to hold it back.

“I-I wanted to graduate. I-I don’t want to be expelled a-and I don’t even want to be left behind.” Her daughter’s lips were shaking and she can’t even get her thoughts straight. She widely opened her mouth but her voice was too low to be heard. Her tears slowly fell on her lap while stooping so low. She don’t want her mother to see her wet eyes.

With a deep sighed, her mother walked to her and sat beside her. She was so worries of her and couldn’t stand the fact that she sees desperation in her eyes. She reach for her chin and lifted it to face on her, but her eyes was still looking down.

“Look her.” Her mother’s voice became low and gentle, making her daughter's eyes met her gaze, “I know how you wanted to graduate. I know how you feel but this isn’t how you done it. Study hard and double your effort. In that way, you can graduate without any trouble.”

She sniffed as she wiped her wet cheeks, “But I did everything, Mom. I’m really terrible at it.”

Her mother composed a smile, “How about this?” Her mother paused as she thought of something, “Who is Carnillo?”

Her daughter looked down as she played with her own fingers, “He owns that report card and he’s our top 2.”

“Are you friends with… him?” She asked, not sure of the last word.

“Yea… But we’re not that close.” Her daughter respond, unsure of her thought.

“Why not asked… him to lend you a hand?” Her mother paused, still not sure of its gender, “I mean, the owner of this card has excellent grades. Perfect to be your tutor.”

She sighed, hopelessly, “I don’t think that will help, mom.”

“Lets do it this way.” Her mom paused, waiting for her eyes to meet her gaze, “You need to graduate with average grade of 90 up in Mathematics, otherwise, I will report this to your teacher. How’s that?”

Her daughter sighed in defeat. She already thought of being left behind because it was impossible for her to have that grades. She was struggling so much just to get 75, how much more 90 up? Another tear escape from her eye and she sniffed again to stop the next one to fell. She wiped it and played again with her fingers.

“You don’t want to be expelled, right? Or even left behind?” Her mother persuaded her in a gentle tone.

Hannah sniffed again as she was forced to nod, without looking on her mother. She stoop so low, trying to avoid her look on her. Hiding the disappointment in her face from her mother.

Her mother gently brushed her hair and put some of it behind her ear that slightly covered her face, “You better do something.”

Hannah wasn’t paying any attention at all. But her mother kissed her on her forehead and gave her a small smile. She stood and walked to the door. But before she could opened it, she turned to her. She was still playing with her fingers while lost in her thoughts.

“I’m keeping this.” Her mother waved the report card but Hannah didn’t bother to look, “Have a good sleep.”

Her mother opened the door and went out as she closed it behind her.

Hannah didn’t bother to glance. She was deeply drowned in her thoughts and disappointment. Tears fell on her lap as guilt get the best of her. She really don’t know what to do, and she can’t even think of sleeping with it. She was so worried about her grades, to the point that she became so desperate to tampered her classmate’s report card. She thought about it once again and she blamed herself for being so selfish about it. Now, she had to do something, or else, she will be kicked out of her school.

Hannah’s eyes caught her friend as she was walking towards the gate. She walked faster to catch up but suddenly, her foot slowed down. She just remembered their argument from the last time they talked. She remembered that they were against with her idea and how Vanessa turned against her. Her heart seemed to be pinched as she slowly walked to reach them. She swallowed her hesitation as she was getting closer to them.

Unintentionally, Vanessa looked over her shoulder and she caught a glimpse of her from the corner of her eye. She slowly turned to face her and Hannah composed a smile to greet her.

“Hey.” Hannah sounded unsure, whether she will be notice by her.

“I thought that you told Clarisse that you don’t want to see our faces.” Vanessa answered with a little rough in her tone.

Clarisse was few steps ahead from Vanessa but she stopped and looked behind her when she heard Vanessa was talking to someone. Hannah glanced on Clarisse when she notice her eyes on her and smiled on her. Clarisse respond with a small smile.

Hannah opened her mouth as she thought of something reasonable to say, “I’m sorry about the last time.” She paused and looked down as she played with her fingers, “I know it was a mistake but I still did it.”

“You did?” Vanessa’s voice was almost to rise, “You are so desperate, Hannah.”

Hannah moved her eyes to glanced around them and it seems those students around them didn’t heard them. She walked closer to Vanessa as she grabbed her arm to walked and leaned closer to her. Clarisse was behind them, curiously following.

“I did the tampering but my mother found out about it.” She whispered, making sure that no one could hear her.

“What?” Vanessa’s teeth clenched in surprise, “And what did she do?” Vanessa whispered back.

“She kept the card. But I need to graduate with 90 up in Mathematics or she will tell our teacher about it.” Hannah explained on a low and whispered tone.

Vanessa smirked, “Not a bad way to make you study hard.

“But not just that.” Hannah’s hand tighten on Vanessa’s arm, “My mother asked me to make Carnillo as my tutor.”

With a playful smile as they made their way to their classroom, Vanessa was grinning from ear to ear, “Well, not a bad tutor.”

“Yea?” Hannah was still unsure, “You’re friends with him, right?”

Vanessa nodded with a smile.

“Do you think he will notice me?” Hannah whispered on Vanessa’s ear while her eyes were fix on the hallway.

Vanessa nodded as she gave her a quick look, “Just say hi to him. He’s affable.”

As they entered the room, first person that caught Hannah’s attention was King sitting on his seat. He was staring on the floor dumbfounded. Probably because the Brian and his company took his report card and he hadn’t found it. He was deeply lost in his thoughts.

Seeing this, Hannah felt guilty. She shouldn’t tampered his report card. He studied hard to earn those grades. She was being selfish. She only thought about herself and she didn’t bother to think twice before doing it. But instead of making the guilt get the best of her, she put herself together and remember what her mother told her. She needs King to have good grades in Math.

“Go.” Vanessa whispered on Hannah’s ear when she noticed that she was staring on him, “Just say hi.”

Hannah swallowed her nervous and slowly walked towards him. She put her hands together as she thought of something to say or how to greet him. It seems King doesn’t noticed her since he didn’t even look on her or her steps was too quiet.

“Hey..” Hannah greeted him on a low tone.

King blinked before he rub his palm against his face and looked at her.

He forced a smile, “Hi, De Vera.” His tone was lifeless. He sounded like he don’t want to talk to someone.

“Do you mind if I sit here?” Her voice was gentle as she pointed the vacant sit next to him.

He lightly nodded, without looking on her, “Sure. It seems Martinez is absent for today.”

A small smile form on her face as she sat, “Are you alright?”

“Brian took my card yesterday. He said he threw it in the trash bin. I already search all the trash bins in the entire campus but I didn’t found it.” King voice was low and almost a whisper. He was lightly kicking the foot of the chair in front of him.

As if her heart was pinched when she heard it. She sense the ache just by hearing his voice. She wanted to confess that she had the card but she needs to get a hold of herself. She won’t allow the guilt get the best of her.

She swallowed to drain the guilt as she lean in, “I think I can help you look for it.”

Automatically, King lifted his head and turned to her. Their faces were so close that the tip of their noses touched. It was so unexpected. They both caught themselves off guard.

For a while, they stared on each other’s eyes. Trying to read what was on their minds. Hannah was lost in her senses. She can’t make her mind work while King was stunned. It took them for a while to broke the awkward staring.

“Why would you?” King asked without any emotion in his tone. Still their faces were so close to each other.

“I just wanted to help.” Hannah replied in her serious tone.

“I appreciate that.” With a soft voice, King genuinely smiled on her.

Like a magnet, Hannah smiled back on him. She felt butterflies in her stomach at the same time, guilt, from the back of her mind. She felt like her cheeks was about to burn and her heart was racing like crazy.

“You’re so handsome, Carnillo. Why don’t you get yourself a girlfriend?” Words came out of her mouth without thinking twice.

With a mischievous smile, he replied, “Can I get you?”